Lamp-socket.



G. W. WACKER. LAMP socKET. APPLxcMmN mep mm2, 1916.

' Patenfedsepf. 4,1917. f

GEORGE W. WAGNER, or niirnnnronn,

CARBON COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N.V Y., A

oiiiiicn.

JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAI-D` CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.L f

NEW

LAMP-SOCKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WAGNER, :ii-.iti'fzen of the United States, residing at l-tutlwrford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp- Sockets, of which'y the yfollowing is a'specitcation, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part thereof. y

My invention relates to sockets for incandescent electric lamps, and important objects of my inventionare the secure holdin f of the lamp and the preserving cfa good contact-inaking or` circuit-completing relation. Another important object of my invention is inexpensiveness olf manufacture.

Other objects of my linvention are simplicity of construction, durability, reliability and other objects and advantages which Awill rhereinafter appear.

lVliile my invention is adapted to a wide variety of uses and is capable of embodiment in different kinds of electric lighting lixtures and devices, in the accompanying drawings my invention is shown as einbodiedy 'in a portable electric light -or flash- I shall now. describe the tubularportablc electric light illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodyingmy invention and shall thereafterpoint o-ut my invention in claim. g I i Figure l `is a centrallongitudinal section of a tubular portable electric lighteinbodying the lamp socket of my invention, lwith the circuitiin the closedcondition.

f Fig.' 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in central longitudinal section en a Vplane indicated bythev `line 2,- 2 of Fig. l as Specification of Letters Patent.

ofthe lamp socket and parts including the lamp and the viewed from below, connected reflector. y y

Fig." 3 is a transverse section ona plane Patented Sep-t. 4,19%( i Application led April 22, 1916. Serial No. 92,846. i

indicated by the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 as 'viewed from the right,'the lamp appearing in end elevation.

Fig. ll is a central longitudinal section on a plane indicated by the lines 4 4 of Fig. 2 as viewed from above, and as seen in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4L as viewed from the left.

Fig. (Sis a side view; and Fie. 7 an edge -view as 'viewed from below in Fig. (i ofthe split lamp-holding spring gripping ring before it is applied tothe lamp socket.

In the tubular portable electric light or flashlight embodying in v invention illustinted in the accompanying drawings, thel lamp socketl embodying my invention coniprises a smooth lcylindrical metal tube l adapted to freely reeeiv-e a lamp base and a gripping member shown asa split ring oi1 spring wire which extends around andk nearly encircles the tubular socket part l, and which has a circularly .curved socketgripping part 2 and a straight end part 8 for gripping the lamp base, this straight end part 3 lying in and bein shown as projecting beyond a transverse s ot 4l in one side of the lamp-receiving tube or socket part l,

as is clearly shown in the several figures of `the drawings.

The lamp socket embodying my invention illustrated in the drawings is adapted to receive or to be employed in' connection with a miniature incandescent electric lamp having a bulb 5 provided with a usual elec trically conductive screw-threaded base 6 which forms one terminal of the lainn. Ac-

cordingly the transversely slotted opening .f

Ll; in the side of the socket meniberl is j slightly inclined so las to correspond tothe pitch of the screw-threads of the lamp base 6. The split ringof spring wire liavingthe curved socket-gripping part 2 and the straight lamp base engaging part 3 as originally made or before its application to thev tubularsocket memberl is iiat, kas is illustiated in F igs. G and 7. After thewap lication of this resilient split ring tothe tu ular i e e socket member 1 the inclination of the transverse slot Lt which receives the straight lamp base engaging end part 3 ot the split ring causes the circiilarlfy curved part i). to adjust itself so as to occupy al helical curve as appears in Figs. 1, 2 and et of the drawings.

The slightly inclined transverse slot 4 in the .socket member 1 is shown as located about midway of the length of the tubular socket member 1. The diameter of the spring wirelof which the resilient split ring is formed is such as to fit in the groove formed by the screw-thread on the lamp base and the length ot' the transverse slot t in the tubular socket` member 1 is such as to permit the straight end part 3 of the split ring te project into the socket member 1 a distance about equal to the ,diameter of the wire 'forming the split ring, as is clearly shown in the drawings. The circularly curved part .2 of the split ring resiliently grips the outside of the tubular socket member l and the straight end part 8 engages the lamp base (i between the ridges formed b v the thread thereon and presses upon the lamp base f3 so as to hold it within the socket member l and also so as to press the lamp base into intimate contact-making or circuit completing relation with the opposite side of the electrically conductive tubular socket part 1, the lamp base 6 being resilientliV gripped between the straight end part 3 ot' the split ring and the opposed inner wall ot' the tubularsocket'member l, as is clearly illustrated in the drawings.

By using a littleforce or pressure the lamp basen may be snapped into place past the resiliently yielding'straight end part 3 ot' the lamp-holding split ring, and the lamp may be sin'iil'arly removed, but it is prefer'- ablc to screw the lamp into place and to unscrew it for removal. The grippingof the tubular socket member l by the circularly curved part 2 of the split ring causes the straight part 3 to press upon the ,screwthreaded lamp base 6 as above noted and this pressure upon the lamp base 6 at one side thereof not only assures a good contactinaking or circuit-completing'relation betweenthe conductive lamp base 6 andthe conductive socket member 1, but also and of great iinportance the lamp base (3 is restrained from unscreiving out of the socket member 1, even if subjected to severe vibraployed screw-threaded lamp4 socket 4is more expensive of manufacture than is the improved socket ot" my invention.

ln the construction ot' tubular flashlight illustrated in the drawings as embodying my invention the inner end of the metallic tubular socket member 1 is supported by a circuit-completing contact plate 7 shown as formed of the same piece of metal or integrallyY vwith the socket member 1. The contact plate 7 is supported upon a metallic reflector S by means of an interposed annular insulating disk i), the outer edge of the insulating disk t) being engaged and gripped by the outer edge or peripheral portion of the contact plate 7 which is shown as turned over upon the edge of the disk 9, and the inner edge of the annular insulating disk 9 being similarly grippedby the inner edge of the metallic reflector S, as clearly appears in the drawings, the body of the'central portion of the contact plate 7 being olt'set out of contact with or in spaced relation to the inner edge of the retlectorS, andthe lamp-receiving socket member l projectiiigoutwardly into the' central socket-reccivingiopei'iing provided at theV center ofthe rellector 8, it being noted that the socket ifiember 2 and its split ring gripping member are both in spaced relation to and outof contact with the conductive re lectorvS.

The particularportable electric light or flash-light illustrated in the drawings has a liattery-containing and lamp-carrying casing shown as including a inetal tube 10 which is screw-threaded at its opposite ends andat its front end is shown as provided with an inturned llange. At the front end of the tubular casing part 10 a usual flanged metal ring 11 is screw-threaded `over the end ot' the tulic l0 and holds in place thereon a usual lens 12, and the forward or peripheral edge of the retlector is turned outward to forni a flange w'hich' is shown as held between the lens 12 and the inturned llange on the tubular casing part 10, it being noted that the metallic reflector S is in electrically coinluctive relation with the metal casing tube l0. A usual metallic end cap 13 'is screw-threwled over the rear end ol. the

casing tube l() and is provided at the inside with usual battery-supi'iorting electrically conductive spiral thrust spring 14.

as comprising two cells having zine termi- .nals l5 and carbon end terminals 1G and contained in a usual paper insulating tube i7. 'llie carbon terminal 1G ol the battery cell adjacent to the lamp is in contact with the central terminal` 1S of the lamp and the zinc cup l5 ol the buttery cell :it the rear ol' the casing'and which l'oinis the other terminal ol' the battery is in contact with the conductive thrust spring llwhich is metallically electrically connected to the 'lhe Inetal casing contains' a battery shown whole metal casing, the electrical circuit through the lamp being only interrupted by the socket-supporting insulating disk 9 by which the metallic contact plate .7, the lamp Vsocket having the tubular socket member 1, y and the screw-threaded lamp base 6 forming the other terminal of the lamp, are insulated from the metal casing.

A circuit closer or circuit controller is provided :for controlling electrical connection between' the metal casing tube 10 and the metal contact plate 7, by bridging the insulation produced by the lamp-supporting insulating disk 9. The metal tube 10, has a longitudinal slot 19 therein forming a guidewny for tubular rivets 2O which secure t0- gcther a manually actuatable slide 2l at the outside ot the casing tube 10 and a longitudinally movable contact strip 22 at the inyside ot' the casing. The contact stiip 22 is turned' inward at its forward end so as to overlap upon and engage the contact plate 7 in the closed circuit condition, which is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby completing the battery circuit from the socket lncuibcr l through the contact plate 'T and contact strip to the metal casing tubo l0.

Movement of the slide 2l backward will retract the contact strip out of engageincnt with the contact plate 7, thereby Openingr the circuit. ',lhe open or the closed circuit condition will be -inaintained by friction ot' the slidable circuit-controlling parts, this friction being increased and also .scratching ot the polished outer surface of thc inctal tube l0 prevented by means of a. strip 23 of liber or other suitable material which is held by the rivets 20 between the slide 21 and the outer surface ofthe casing tube 10.

' The means for insulating the lamp socket from the reiiector'hereinbefore briefly described and which, as hereinbefore mehthe 'lamp socket' and circuit-controlling v means are insulation.

It is obvious that various modifications provided `for bridging this iinay be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly dei scribed within the principle and scope of my invention.

A cylindrical lamp-socket having a Asmooth wall and aslot therein inclined at the pitch angle of the screw-groove in a lamp base, and a resilient split ring having an arcuate portion closely embracing and iitting the outside of the socket and having a segment which enters and completely traverses said slot in position to enter and press upon said screw-groove of the lamp base when inserted into the socket, whereby the resilient ring is secured on ,the socket v` and the lamp base is secured in the socket.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my.

signature.

GEORGE W. WACKER. 

